1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to liquid or solidified skin care or cleansing compositions.
2. Background of the Invention
Conventional aqueous based liquid cleansing products have been traditionally used by consumers for personal cleansing. Frequently such products have compositions that are diluted with water to pre-solubilize or disperse the surfactant and benefit agent ingredients and are purchased by consumers in their diluted state. Consumers desiring to purchase a product containing a concentrated liquid version of such a cleansing composition, with reduced levels of water, are frequently faced with a very viscous and inconvenient to use product. Consumers also desire to purchase skin care and cleansing compositions with active ingredients that are freshly prepared and have a high degree of activity for its intended function. Concentrated nonaqueous cleansing products and compositions are known, some of which having active ingredients that are activated during use. For example, PCT publication no. WO 02/069917 to Glenn et al. published on Sep. 12, 2002 discloses an oil-in-oil emulsion that contains cosmetic actives that react with amino acid substrates where an internal oil solvates the reactive agent. U.S. publication No. 2002/0192173 to Glenn et al. published on Dec. 19, 2002 discloses an anhydrous treatment composition comprising an agent that reacts with amino acid based substrates and a solvent which solvates the reactive agent and which is water miscible. U.S. Pat. No. 6,451,327 issued to Masaaki et al. on Sep. 17, 2002 discloses a substantially nonaqueous, water-miscible skin cleansing composition containing a granulated surfactant. U.S. Pat. No. 6,569,415 issued to Orloff et al. on May 27, 2003 discloses an indicating shaving preparation product that undergoes a discernible physical or chemical change after a sufficient amount of water has been intermixed with the shaving preparation. Physical or chemical changes are described to take place in the shaving preparation itself or by disrupting encapsulated active ingredients dispersed within the shaving preparation and allowing the active ingredients to react with water or other components of the preparation. Also described by Orloff et al. is one embodiment of the product dispenser that contains two chambers that are isolated from each other and a system for blending the components together to allow them to react upon dispensing. There is no disclosure or suggestion however of unsolvated dispersed phase active ingredients that are not encapsulated in a barrier material prior to activation. Another example of a nonaqueous reactive product is provided in U.S. Pat. No. 6,274,127 issued to Schraer et al. on Aug. 14, 2001 which discloses an antiperspirant composition containing water reactive monomers in a nonaqueous base that polymerize when activated by the moisture in perspiration. A further example of a solid nonaqueous reactive product is provided in U.S. Pat. No. 3,194,736 issued to Braun on Jul. 13, 1965 which discloses a solid depilatory composition containing a dispersed sulfide ion precursor and an alkali in a waxy base that is activated by moisture applied to the skin.
Surprisingly it has been found that a skin care or cleansing composition can be formulated which has a substantially solvated or continuous and a substantially unsolvated or discontinuous phase where at least two components of the discontinuous phase may either react with each other when blended with water or where at least one component may itself react with the water so as to provide a unique cleansing, skin benefit, sensory signal or a combination thereof to the user. Such a composition also solves the problem of providing a concentrated cleansing or skin benefit component in a convenient liquid or solid form for consumer use.